Bleaching fabrics



i l l GATlON E ifXiiLtS a name,

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

BLEACHIING FABRICS.

SPEGIFIOATION Iorming part of Letters Patent No. 263,365, dated August 29, 1882.

' Application filed January 28, 1882. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, CHARLES Torean, of Salem, in the county of Essex and'State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvements in bleachingcotton, linen, and other fabrics composed in whole or part of vegeta le fibers, or similar fibers, as raw cotlon, 850., containing vegetable coloring-matter,

of which the following is a specification.

Heretofore it has required twenty-four hours at least to bleach cotton fabrics, and it has been found somewhat difiicult to 'remove per-' fectly all traces of the chlorine employed. In consequence thereof many times the fabric is injured, being rendered tender by the action of the chlorine upon the fibers of the goods, and thereby very materially reducing the strength thereon The objectsof my invention areto obviate these defects and objections, and at the same time impart to the goods or fabrics bleached other desirable qualities by softening the fabrics in a very great degree, rendering the same very much more pliable, and also more susceptible to receive particularly such as belong to the class of aniline colors; and, furthermore, by my process and treatment of such fabrics in bleaching they are rendered antiseptic, thuspreventin g mildew and absorption of moisture, and thus permitting their'exportation long distances or to hot climates without extra care or attention in packing the same.- I accomplish. these and other desirable objects without deteriorating the quality or the weight of the fabric or goods; and it consists essentially in the process and treatment of the fabric or fiber in a raw state, as hereinafter more fully described, and set forth in the claim.

In carrying out my invention I proceed as follows: First, I boil the fabric in a solution of pure water and Sinapetroline No.2, which is 4 acompoundknown in commerce by that tradevessel which may be closed,

and retain colors or dyes,

the same two hours, remove and rinse in warm water, then place thefabric into a new clean solution of the same strength and boil one hour, then remove and rinse again in warm water, then place the fabric into a solutiou of eh-lorideofA-imeand'watenof'a'density from 3,to 5 when hot, (measured by the hydrometer of Baum,) then remove and expose to a current of air, repeat the operation one or more times or until sufficiently bleached. As soon as the bleaching is finished, remove the fabric, or, when the airing shows the action of the chlorine to be sufficient,wash the goods iua strong solution of boiling water and siuapetroline No.- 2, which will instantly remove alltraees of the chlorine. I find by experiment "WW" UH i URY...

that sinapetroline No. 2 has an afiinity for the vegetable "coloring-matter contained in raw cotton'or cotton fabric, and that it assimilates therewith when the solution of chloride of lime has acted upon the coloring-matter, followed by the solution of hot water and sinapetroline No. 2. Thetar-like coloring-matterisveryquickly and effectually freed and removed from the duced. I flnd, furthermore. that this process and treatment tends to soften the fabric to a.

very remarkable degree, and yet does not rc-' duce the original weight of the goods, but rather addsorsomewhat increases their weight.

To carry out this process or art of bleaching cotton or linen fabrics in a superior manner only requires from two to three hours, whereas theprocesses heretofore employed has required twenty-four hours to produce an inferior result.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is-- p he herein-described art or process of bleaching,.cousisting in boiling the fabric or goods in a solution of water and sinapetroline No. 2, then treating the fabric or goods with a solution of chloride of lime and water, and airing the same, and then washing the fabric or goods in a solution of hot water and sinapetrolino No. 2, as and for.the purposes setforth.

fiber of the cotton from which the fabric is pro- 

